The predecessor of the Patent Office is the Trademark Registration Office, which was established in 1884. In 1885, the "Patent Monopoly Act (current Patent Law)" was promulgated, and the name of the Office was changed to Patent Monopoly Office, which was changed to Patent Monopoly Bureau in 1886, and then to Patent Bureau.

After World War II, the Bureau became the Patent Standards Bureau, as an external bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and was renamed once again the Patent Bureau. It then became the Patent Office when the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was changed to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1949. Since its establishment, The Office has worked on acceptance of applications, examination and registration as its major duties with the aim of protecting industrial property rights. In 2001, the "National Center for Industrial Property Information" became an Incorporated Administrative Agency.

The Agency is organized into seven departments: Trademark, Design and Administrative Affairs Department in charge of examination of designs and trademarks; First Patent Examination Department in charge of examination of inventions related to the gathering and processing of agricultural livestock products, construction, nuclear power, measuring, office supplies and commodities; Second Patent Examination Department in charge of those related to machinery; Third Patent Examination Department in charge of those related to science; Fourth Patent Examination Department in charge of those related to electricity and communication; Appeal Department in charge of hearings of cases related to industrial property rights; and General Affairs Department.